Health Benefits of Sweet Corn

Table of Contents: 

• Nutritional value of Sweet Corn

• Nutritional Health Benefits of Sweet Corn

• Benefits of Sweet Corn for Skin

• What are the Side Effects of Eating Sweet Corn?

• Sweet Corn Recipes to Include in Cooking

• Take Home Points

• FAQs On Sweet Corn

Introduction 

Sweet corn and Popcorn are varieties of Corn. Corn also known as maize is the seed of a plant in the grass family. Whole corn or Sweet corn benefits can be many since it is a whole grain and contains many vitamins, minerals, and fibres.

Sweetcorn is a tasty delicious form of corn, which is whole grain and in a healthy form of corn. It can be added to a variety of dishes as well as consumed alone. Apart from being delicious, it offers a variety of health benefits like digestive health, heart health, eye health, etc.

Whole corn and sweet corn are beneficial but processed or ultra-processed forms of Corn are detrimental to health in the long run. Therefore, learning about sweet corn benefits becomes important, So that you consume healthy forms of Corn. In this blog, we’ll cover what are the benefits of eating sweet corn. What are the advantages and disadvantages of sweet corn?

Nutritional value of Sweet Corn

To understand Sweet corn benefits, We must understand the Nutritional value of Sweetcorn, As portion control becomes important with any cereal. Nutritional facts about Sweet corn include(100 gm boiled yellow corn):

• Calories: 96

• Water: 73%

• Protein: 3.4 grams

• Carbs: 21 grams

• Sugar: 4.5 grams

• Fiber: 2.4 grams

• Fat: 1.5 grams

• Carbs:

Corn and sweet corn like any cereal is mainly composed of carbs. Corn has mainly carbs in the form of starch but Sweet corn is different as it has a low amount of starch but high sucrose content. Being rich in Sugar content, it is not a high glycemic index food. It is a medium to low glycemic index

• Fiber:

Fiber content varies in different types of corn, but one thing is for sure it contains a fair amount of fibre. Fibre content can range from 9-15% of dry weight. Sweet corn benefits as low glycemic index food can be explained as it has high fibre content. The Fibre content of corn is mainly insoluble form.

• Protein:

The protein quality of corn is low as the most abundant protein in Corn is Zeins which is a low-quality protein as it lacks most of the essential amino acids. The protein content of Sweet corn can be 10-15%.

Sweet corn benefits can be more as there are some specific vitamins that are present in Sweet corn these include:

1. Pantothenic acid(Vitamin B5)

2. Vitamin B6

3. Niacin

4. Folate

5. Potassium

Nutritional Health Benefits of Sweet Corn

As discussed earlier Sweet corn benefits are maximum when eaten whole, not in processed form. Nutritional health benefits of sweet corn include: 

Eye Health:

Macular degeneration and Cataracts are among the major causes of blindness, Old Age and infection can lead to these. Antioxidants can help prevent degenerative changes in the eye. Zeaxanthin and lutein present in Sweet corn are among the major antioxidants present in Sweetcorn.

• High in Fibre:

Dietary fibre can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension etc. Sweet corn contains a good amount of insoluble fiber which also improves digestive health.

• Improves Heart Health:

Fibre content in sweet corn can be beneficial as fibre reduces hypertension and cholesterol thus reducing the overall risk for heart disease. Adding sweet corn to your diet plan can provide a good amount of fibre.

• Rich source of Antioxidants:

Free radicals are constantly being produced in our body, antioxidants neutralize the harmful effect of free radicals which may range from premature aging to chronic diseases. Sweet corn contains a variety of antioxidants that can help neutralize free radicals. Sweetcorn benefits can come from an abundance of antioxidants like vitamin C, lutein zeaxanthin etc.

• Helps Prevent Diverticulitis:

Diverticulitis or Diverticular disease is in which outpouching of the intestinal wall happens and people experience flatulence, bloating, cramps, sometimes infection, and bleeding. High-fiber food can help in the prevention of diverticulitis. People who regularly consume a high-functioning diet tend to lower the risk of diverticular disease.

• Improves Memory:

Sweet corn benefits can also come from thiamine or vitamin B1 content. Thiamine is required for the formation of acetylcholine, which is a molecule that gets reduced in the brains of those having Alzheimer's disease. Hence, sweet corn can help improve memory.

• Weight Management:

Fibre content sweet corn makes you feel full for a long time. These sweet corn benefits can help in weight loss. Apart from this sweet corn is low in calories so, it makes sweet corn a perfect choice to include for weight loss.

• Prevents Cancer:

Novel-derived peptide protein from maize has been shown to have anticancer properties. These peptides have shown their anti-cancer effects in different stages of cancer.

Benefits of Sweet Corn for Skin

Sweet corn contains Beta-carotene which helps in the formation of Vitamin A. Vitamin A promotes healthy skin growth and rejuvenates skin. Beta-carotene is also an antioxidant that prevents damage to the skin by free radicals and environmental pollutants.

What are the Side Effects of Eating Sweet Corn?

Apart from sweet corn benefits, sweet corn consumption should be in moderation and freshly prepared sweetcorn should be consumed. There are some side effects of consuming sweet corn:

• Digestive Issues:

Excess sweet corn consumption can lead to bloating and diarrhoea. People who have a sensitive gut should consume sweet corn in moderation. 

• Mycotoxin Intoxication:

Cereals and grains can be contaminated by fungi. Fungi produce various mycotoxins like fumonisins, aflatoxins, and trichothecenes. These toxins are common in stored Cereals and grains. These can lead to serious health effects, like aflatoxin is linked with hepatocellular carcinoma. These are more common among those who consume corn as a staple diet. Therefore, storage and use of fungicides becomes very important.

• Reduces Mineral Absorption:

Whole grains or cereals contain phytic acid(phytates) which can interfere with mineral absorption like iron and zinc consumed from the same meal. Soaking, sprouting, or fermenting can reduce phytic acid significantly.

• Corn Intolerance:

People with gluten sensitivity can have problems with corn although in rare cases because the protein in corn which is Zein protein is similar to gluten but these reactions are rare. The soluble fibre in Corn can upset the stomachs of people with IBS. 

Sweet Corn Recipes to Include in Cooking

Properly prepared sweet corn can be super delicious, it can be added to a variety of recipes. Here are some tips to add sweet corn to your recipes:

• Sweet corn in Salads:

Sweetcorn can be added to salad to give a sweet taste to salad.

• Sweet corn Soup:

It can be prepared by boiling sweet corn with veggies.

• Sweet corn Chillas:

You can add sweet corn into chiles to give them a sweetish and crunchy taste.

• Sweet corn Tikkis:

You make Tikkis out of sweetcorn after boiling and smashing

• Sweetcorn Mexican dish:

This can be prepared by blending cream, garlic, hot sauce, lemon juice, and cheese and making a thick slurry, then transferring it to a pan and cooking it till the mixture becomes thick,

• Creamed Sweetcorn Soup:

Put 2 cups of sweet corn in a blender and thickness can be altered by your preference. Put onion and butter in a pan, mix the sweetcorn slurry prepared, and add some milk, and cream and enjoy the soup.

Take Home Points

1. Sweet corn and Popcorn are varieties of Corn. Corn also known as maize is the seed of a plant in the grass family.

2. Sweetcorn is a tasty delicious form of corn, which is whole grain and in a healthy form of corn. It can be added to a variety of dishes as well as consumed alone.

3. Sweetcorn benefits include: providing fibre, and antioxidants, improving eye health, and heart health, and lowering cholesterol.

4. Apart from these sweet corn benefits, it is also helpful in preventing diverticular disease, weight management, and improving memory.

5. Side effects of sweet corn include digestive issues, mycotoxin exposure, Reduced mineral absorption, corn intolerance, etc.